Fuel supply disruptions are being reported at several filling stations across Ghana after a technical outage of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) halted petroleum loading at depots.
In separate statements, GOIL PLC and Star Oil Ghana confirmed that the system failure has prevented Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) from completing the required tax processing documentation needed to lift petroleum products from depots for nationwide distribution.
According to GOIL, the outage began on Thursday, March 5, affecting the platform used by OMCs to establish and process tax liabilities before petroleum products can be released for transport to service stations.
“Since Thursday, the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), the platform used to establish and process tax liabilities payable by Oil Marketing Companies, has experienced a system outage,” the company said in a statement.
The company explained that the technical failure has temporarily halted the documentation process required for petroleum lifting, making it impossible for OMCs to load fuel from depots.
“As a result, OMCs, including GOIL, have been unable to load petroleum products from the depots for distribution to service stations,” the statement added.
Due to the situation, some GOIL stations across the country may temporarily run low on fuel until the system is restored and distribution resumes.
Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of GOIL, Edward Abambire Bawa, apologised to customers and transport operators for the inconvenience caused by the disruption.
He assured the public that the company is working closely with relevant authorities to restore normal operations and ensure that fuel supplies return to stations as soon as possible.
Similarly, Star Oil confirmed that several of its stations have begun running out of fuel due to the same technical problem affecting the ICUMS platform.
The company emphasised that the shortages are not the result of hoarding or attempts to speculate on potential fuel price increases.
“You may have noticed that some of our fuel stations have begun running out of fuel. We would like to assure you that this is not due to any hoarding in anticipation of a price increase,” Star Oil stated.
According to the company, the situation worsened after the ICUMS system reportedly failed again on Saturday, preventing Oil Marketing Companies from processing the necessary documentation required to load petroleum products.
Star Oil also indicated that the challenges continued into Monday, affecting the operations of the entire petroleum distribution sector.
The company explained that some of its stations may experience shortages faster than others because they record high fuel sales volumes relative to the size of their underground storage capacity.
Both GOIL and Star Oil have assured customers that they are closely monitoring the situation and will immediately resume lifting petroleum products once the ICUMS platform is restored.
They also appealed to the public to remain patient while authorities work to resolve the technical issues and restore normal fuel supply across the country.
